Be part of a wave of change ...

How much of our planet would you guess to be covered by the sea? … Incredibly, more than 2/3rds … and our oceans hold 97% of our planet’s water. Oceans play a central role in regulating our Earth’s climate and influence global weather patterns. Billions of people rely on our oceans and coastal habitats for their livelihoods. However, our oceans are struggling – not just from overfishing and plastic pollution but also from climate change – which is leading to warmer and more acidic seas and melting sea ice. 

This week’s challenge is to learn more about our magnificent oceans … and to help your family reduce your use of plastic.  Join in with the 2026 Big Plastic Count … count how much plastic packaging you normally throw away in a week … the biggest people-powered investigation into household plastic waste! Watch this energising movie to find out ‘what really happens to our plastics’. What ‘plastics’ actions can you take … remember your reusable water bottle, help choose loose (un-packaged) fruit and vegetables, what else could you buy next time without the plastic packaging?

Have you heard of the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’? … a mass of plastic rubbish between Hawaii and California – but 3 times the size of France!  Watch this 3 minute video on how the Ocean Cleanup project is tackling the problem. Ocean plastic is not only harming larger sea creatures it is also damaging the microscopic life of the ocean (such as plankton), reducing the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon from our atmosphere. 

Check out these UK-based ‘ocean’ entrepreneurs - would you like to work for these sorts of businesses when you’re older?  Odyssey Innovations, based in Plymouth, recycles retrieved marine plastics and turns them into sea kayaks, that are in turn used to collect more ocean plastic as well as helping recycle and upcycle plastic fishing nets. Notpla, has developed an alternative to plastic packaging made from seaweed. 

Our oceans play a really important role in helping us to combat climate change.  Seaweeds, seagrasses, mangroves and salt marshes along our coasts actually ‘absorb’ or ‘capture’ carbon at a much faster rate than plants and trees on land. Find out more about Blue Carbon, and a pioneering Project Seagrass, (scroll down for video), based in Wales.

Have you managed to fill in our 1 minute Children's questionnaire yet … please do … we’d really appreciate your feedback! Thank you!

Share photos of your ‘Big Plastic Count’, or you making plastic-free choices, email Kate: hello@youngclimatewarriors.org and she’ll get back to you!